cutting board
saran wrap
aluminum foil
cookie sheet or pyrex baking dish (9"x12"ish - depends on how many you are making)
toothpicks (optional) or butcher's string (optional)
meat thermometer (optional but recommended)
chicken breasts
olive oil
stuffing
seasoning
Instructions
1) Place a layer of saran wrap on your cutting board, then the chicken, then another layer of saran wrap. Pound your chicken breasts until they roughly double in size (you want a good 6" diameter since you need to fold the chicken in half and have it stay in place. The thinner it is the faster it'll cook). Do this with all of your breasts. This can be a little time intensive, but at some point preheat your oven to 375.
2) Add stuffing (see below for ideas) to one half of the chicken breast and fold the other half over (kinda like a taco. except the "taco shell" is raw chicken). Add whatever seasonings to 1 side.
3) Heat a skillet with a little bit of olive oil (about 1 tbsp for 2 or 3 breasts) and brown/sear both sides of the breasts. Give them a minute or two on each side.
4) Save yourself some cleanup time (trust me on this one) and put down a layer of aluminum foil on your cookie sheet/pyrex dish. Spray a little Pam or rub some olive oil on it (to prevent your chicken from sticking) and place the breasts seasoning side up on the dish. Put the dish in your 375 degree oven for 22-30 minutes (depending on how thick your breasts were will determine how long it takes to cook. If you use a meat thermometer just make sure it hits 165. Chicken will continue to cook after you pull it out of the oven too, so I set mine to 162 or 163 and pull it out when the thermometer goes off.)
5) Savor the flavor.
Stuffing & Seasoning Ideas
As of now I've only really done 2 different types of dishes but both were delicious and I'd love to hear ideas for others.
A Taste of Italy
Stuffing
- 2-3 sun dried tomatoes/breast (get however many you need at the olive bar at your grocery store if you don't want to get a whole package)
- spinach (salad bar is a great way to get it too. I paid $.24 for enough spinach for 3 breasts)
- mozzarella or parmesan cheese
- garlic
- olive oil
Heat a skillet with some olive oil and saute the garlic for a minute. Don't let the garlic brown. Add the spinach (tear it into smaller pieces with your hand) and cook it for a minute. Add the sun dried tomatoes for a minute. Remove all from heat, place in a small bowl and let them return to room temperature. Add some cheese and mix up the mixture. Done.
Seasoning
Anything Italian works. I'll be posting my Tuscan Rub soon which is a perfect addition to this. In the mean time feel free to use Oregano, Basil, Rosemary, Parsley, Sea Salt, Fresh Ground Pepper, or whatever else fits your fancy.
Caribbean Jerk, mon
Stuffing
- fresh diced mango (don't know how to cut one up, check out this)
- diced habanero peppers (make sure you cover up your hands, b/c that stuff BURNS. trust me...technically it is supposed to be a Scotch bonnet pepper, but it is a member of the habanero family of peppers)
Seasoning
check out this article here
or make this rub (this is what I use)
